So this was a fun one that was my version of a lunch made by Robbie Walts while we were at work one day. Instead of soft taco tortillas, I used pita bread. This gave the tacos a lot more body and a whole new texture.
Ingredients :
4 Pocketless pita bread
2 Chicken breast, chopped
1 packet taco seasoning
Olive Oil
2 cups shredded lettuce
1/2 cup pickled red onion
4 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese, plus additional for topping
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
4 tablespoons mango salsa
1/4 cup chipotle crema
1 cup water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°
Heat a large saute pan on high heat. Once hot, turn heat down to medium and add a tablespoon of oil. Once oil begins to shimmer, add chicken breast and stir.
Once the chicken begins to brown, stir again to allow browning on other sides. Once chicken is cooked through, drain the chicken into a colander to remove any grease.
Return the chicken to the pan and add water and taco seasoning. Continue to cook on medium heat until water is mostly absorbed and chicken is orange in color.
While the chicken is browning, heat an additional large saute pan on high heat. Once hot, reduce heat to medium. Prep pita by brushing with oil and put oiled side down on hot pan. Generously sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese onto the top of the pita.
Once the pita begins to brown and the cheese is fully melted, transfer to the oven to allow the cheese to crunch.
Once the pita and chicken are finished, remove both from heat and assemble the tacos with all fillings going onto the cheesed side of the pita bread. I layered mine with 1/4 cup lettuce, 1 cup chicken, a sprinkle of cheese, 1 tablespoon each mango salsa and pickled red onion and then topped with the chipotle crema and chopped cilantro.
The final result was a crunchy, fluffy, spicy and tangy absolutely massive chicken taco that had a very similar texture to a gordita, thus the name “Gordita-ized Taco.” You could easily do this recipe with beef or shrimp or even fish like grouper or haddock. Change up the toppings to include what you like on your tacos, such as sour cream or avocado!